Hand-stamp.



M. 0. PRICE.

HAND STAMP.

AYPLIOATION FILED AUG. 22, 1911.

1,025,019. Patented Apr. 30, 1912.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAHI cu.,wASn|NGTON. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIoE.

MAX 0. PRICE, OF MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR 'IO HILL-INDEPENDENT MFG. 00.,

OF MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

HAN D-STAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 22, 1911.

Patented Apr. 30, 1912.

Serial No. 645,348.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WAX C. PRICE, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Muskegon, in the county of Muskegon and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hand-Stamps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in self inking hand stamps, and the object of the invention is to provide some means to prevent an oscillation or movement of the printing die at the time the impression is being made.

In self inking hand stamps of the tumbler variety, the die plate is rotated or tumbled from the inking position to the printing position and frequently the die plate oscillates slightly at the time the impression is being made, and thus a blurred or double impression is too frequently the result. To eliminate this oscillation just at that part of the movement where the impression is being made, I employ a tension strap preferably connected to the die plate to co-act with the two brace rods at the bottom of the main frame in such a manner that the ends of the strap will engage with said brace rods when the printing die is down in position to print, so that the die plate Will be perfectly rigid during the act of printing. Another advantage due to the use of this strap is that it permits a wider variation in the thickness of the printing die, since the strap will give at the ends where it engages with the brace rods to enable the impression to be made by a thicker die than the stamp is actually designed for, it being rather difiicult to provide dies of exactly the same thickness.

With this general statement in view, my invention consists in the improvement hereinafter shown in its preferable embodiment and then definitely claimed at the end hereof.

In the drawings accompanying and form ing part hereof: Figure l is a vertical central section of a self inking hand stamp with my improvement applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a similar section with the inking die in the printing position. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the printing die and its tension strap attached. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the tension strap by itself.

Referring now to the details of the drawings by numerals: 1 designates a frame of an ordinary self inking stamp which is usually provided with brace rods 2 and 3 connecting the feet at the two sides of the frame. The stamp is of course provided with the usual inking pad 5 and with the die plate 6 with its cushion 7 therein, thedie plate having cams 8 and 9 by which the die plate is tumbled from the inking position to the printing position when the operator depresses the operating handle.

The self inking stamp so far described is 'one of the forms now in common use.

objectionable blur or double impression, and

in order to overcome this and make it impossible to make any but a clear, single impression I connect to the die plate a tension strap 10 which is of the peculiar shape shown in Fig. 4. To this end the tension strap preferablyconsists of a piece of spring material having two side members connected by an arched member 12 in the center, this arched member providing a place within which fits a rod 14 commonly employed to connect the die plate with the arms of the operating handle. The two arms projecting from opposite sides of this arched member 12 project outwardly and slightly upwardly as seen in Fig. 3 and their free ends are formed so that they embrace the sides of the die plate 6 and then are bent downwardly at a rather sharp angle therefrom into two spring tongues 15 and 16. These spring tongues 15 and 16 are in just the proper position, when the die plate has been tumbled, so as to be in the printing position, to contact with the aforesaid brace rods 2 and 3 as indicated in Fig. 2. Thus, on account of the. outward spread of the spring tongues 15 and 16, these tongues engage with the brace rods 2 and 3 very slightly before the printing die reaches its printing position so that in the further slight movement of the printing die, it .will be absolutely impossible for the die to oscillate but willbe caused to give a clear, single impression. It will also be evident that by the use of my tension strap the dealers in these stamps will not be under the necessity of having the printing dies of ex'actly the same thickness. This is important, as rubber dies vary greatly in thickness when made by different dealers or even by the same dealer, so that if the die is of a little different thickness than the stamp is actually designed for, the spring tongues will give where they engage the brace rods, to enable the impression to be properly made.

From the foregoing and accompanying drawing, it will be seen that I have devised a very simple expedient for overcoming the objection stated. It will also be manifest that the strap need not be of the exact shape nor of the dimensions illustrated.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is:

1. In a hand stamp and in combination with the frame thereof, a die plate movable with respect to said frame from an inking position to a printing position, and a tension strap cooperating with said die plate and part of the frame when said die plate is in the printing position, substantially as described.

2. In a hand stamp and in combination with the frame thereof, a die plate, and a tension strap supported by said die plate and cooperating with part of said frame when the die plate is in the printing posi tion, substantially as described.

3. In a hand stamp and in combination with the frame thereof having cross brace rods, a die plate, a tension strap moving with said die plate and co-acting with said brace rods when the die plate is in the printing position, substantially as described.

4. In a hand stamp and in combination with the frame thereof, a die plate, and a tension strap moving with said die plate and having two spring tongues co-acting with part of the frame when the die plate is in the printing position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MAX O. PRICE.

Witnesses:

MAUD JACOBSEN, WM. L. JAOOBSEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

